# Do shrimp need to be deveined to be edible? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 27, 2006, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-shrimp-need-to-be-deveined-to-be-edible/358475 "2006-05-27T19:41:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 2\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2006, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-shrimp-need-to-be-deveined-to-be-edible/358475/21 "2006-05-28T17:24:12Z")
> [@Motorgirl](#): > > Battered, no. Fried, yes. Properly fried the shell gets crispy. There are a couple of dim sum places we go to where you get shrimp fried in the shell with some kind of spices on the outside. You eat them shell & all. Well, I don’t eat the head, but others around me do. I haven’t braved that particular frontier yet. > > There’s also a Thai place I go to that serves a dish called Salty Spicy Shrimp, and you’re meant to eat the shell. Yum. (no heads) There’s several places around here that do fantastic salt-and-pepper shrimp this way (whole, shell-on, light dusting of batter, deep-fried). The head really is the best part with its luscious cache of shrimp fat. Do give it a shot next time. ---
**Author:** ![randwill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@randwill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randwill)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2006, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-shrimp-need-to-be-deveined-to-be-edible/358475/22 "2006-05-28T19:23:16Z")
I buy bags of frozen shrimp called “E-Z Peel” at the local Harris-Teeter. These are split down the back before they are frozen. After you boil them it’s very easy to slip them out of their shells. Most of the vein is gone by that point for maybe a little bit in the tail. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-shrimp-need-to-be-deveined-to-be-edible/358475.md?page=1)